Should you insure your King’s Coronation Street Party?

Last year’s Queens Jubilee saw street parties up and down the country – and served as a much-needed reprieve from both COVID and the cost-of-living pressures. This year, we’re expecting as many, if not more, street parties as we celebrate the King’s Coronation on Saturday the 6th May.

But, there are so many things to take into consideration when it comes to party-planning – no more so than when it involves an entire street or community. So, we thought we’d offer some useful insights from where to start with planning, and why you should consider insurance.

Whether you intend to gather as a group to watch the televised Coronation take place at Westminster Abbey, or just enjoy some socialising, food and music with your neighbours, there are certain steps you need to take to make sure you, and attendees stay safe and on the right side of the law and mitigate risk.

A right royal knees up

It’s estimated that millions will take part in the ‘Coronation Big Lunch’ on Saturday 6th May – whether it’s a family event, a picnic in the park or a street party. The important thing is to start planning now.

Start by picking a date from 6th to 8th May – and a time! You don’t need to stick to Saturday 6th May, or even the daytime, you could plan something on the Bank Holiday Monday evening, if preferred.

If you are planning a Street Party (i.e. you will need to close your road) you will need to contact your local council. You can apply here or give your Council a call. While councils prefer all requests by end-March, they will continue to be reviewed after this date. If you don’t need to close the road, you can run what is called a ‘Street Meet’. If you live in a cul de sac, councils are generally happy for this to go ahead without permission. Otherwise, use driveways, parking areas and front gardens – none of these will require council permission. Ensure you don’t obstruct pavements.Another option is a ‘Neighbour’s Picnic’, which can be held in the local park, the only caveat is that you cannot have music or a barbecue, but it may work well for sandwiches and cake!

Involve your neighbours from the start.

Get your neighbours involved – and make sure everyone meets to discuss the Big Day beforehand.Ask everyone to bring a dish and drink, and don’t forget to include vegetarian/vegan type options. Please make sure you ask your neighbours to label ingredients, and flag anything that contains nuts.Consider classic British recipes, such as Scotch Eggs, sausage rolls, Bakewell Tart and Victoria Sponge cake.You could plan a barbecue, if you are using private land.Consider whether you will buy plastic cutlery or reduce waste and encourage neighbours to bring their own.If you need crockery, consider buying some mismatched plates from a charity shop, they appear much more authentic, cause less waste and the charity will benefit from your purchase. You could even clean them up and return them for resale.To keep decoration costs down, task the local children with creating bunting, flags on (paper) straws, and paper chains.Consider setting up a Spotify playlist and sharing the link with your neighbours who can add their music to it as well. Ask neighbours to chip in together to arrange party insurance.

Do you need Coronation party insurance?

If you are organising an event as an individual or as a collective, yes, you do. While event insurance isn’t a legal requirement, it could protect you from a whole host of issues! We would rather you enjoyed the fruits of your labour than spent the day worrying about damage, or accidents and injury claims.  

It’s easy to take out single event insurance to cover you for a street party. Much like travel insurance, you can choose ‘single’ or ‘multi’. However, ‘single’ does cover multiple days (up to four) so if you are planning on organising several parties over the Bank Holiday weekend, this would be ideal. If you enjoy the street party spirit and host more throughout the year, multi could be a good option. But why do you need it?

Litigation can range from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands of pounds – could you afford this if a partygoer slipped on some food and injured themselves, or had a touch of food poisoning after the event? They could even burn their lips on a hot cup of tea. And you could be liable for all of it. Consider as well that, although the council may have closed your street, not everybody will want to move their cars, so be prepared to consider any claims for damage to vehicles.

If you are planning to super-size your celebration and use outside caterers, they would come with their own insurance which would cover food poisoning, burns or allergic reactions, however if your buffet is likely to be made up of food you have cooked, or your neighbours bring, it’s a good idea to ensure you are protected. And if you consider paying anyone yourself, perhaps a student looking for a little pocket money to prepare food or clean up, or even pay the keen cook on the street to do all of the catering, you may need to consider a form of employee insurance.

In short, street parties come in all shapes and sizes, so if you are planning one, talk to a broker who will find you the right policy for your party.

Coronation party insurance – what doesn’t it cover? 

When it comes to fireworks, think again, you will not be covered for pyrotechnic damage!And if you were thinking of a fundraising bungee jump, a bonfire, ballooning or flying, these will not be covered under your events insurance.Contrary to popular belief, bouncy castles are not insurable. However, if you hire one from a reputable hirer, they may provide a certain level of insurance with the hire.  If you have a larger space and are considering a fairground ride, you will not be covered if you intend to operate it yourself, so make sure you hire it with staff to ensure safe operation.If a couple of your neighbour’s volunteer to act as ‘bouncers’ to prevent unwanted guests wandering into your celebrations, the organiser could be liable for any injuries they cause in a kerfuffle. If you are planning a larger event, or you are hosting a street party in a busier area, then we would recommend hiring an SIA Approved bouncer, who will come with full training and their own insurance.

Safety first

While it’s common sense, it’s important that you and your neighbours work together to clean up knocked over or spilled items and ensure that everybody behaves themselves. Labelling food to warn people of allergens is a simple but effective way of mitigating food allergies. It could also be an idea to make sure you have a First Aid kit for any falls or burns. Conducting a simple health and safety check is recommended.

And one last point you may not have considered is to make sure that your front door and windows remain locked while you are enjoying your street party, to avoid any disappointment when you get home after a wonderful day with your neighbours.

Whatever you do, we hope you have an enjoyable and safe day – why not share your party photos with us by tagging @aplaninsurance, we’d love to see them.

Did you know that A-Plan can cover street parties? We know this is a pretty unique insurance to consider, so we are happy to answer any questions about party insurance that you can think of, to ensure your event goes smoothly and without worry. Contact your local branch here.